One of the fundamental aims of the Cornwall RIGS Group is to protect sites of Earth Science importance. This is done by the designation of County Geology Sites (formerly known as RIGS).

Box weathering on a building near Durgan (inset) - a new County Geology Site
The age of the building is known, so this allows geologists to work out rates of weathering for the building stones used.

As part of the “Exploring the Geodiversity of Cornwall” Project, the Cornwall RIGS Group is being funded to designate 10 new County Geology Sites.

The work has been carried out in-house by members of the RIGS Committee and interested local geologists. A total of 24 potential sites were investigated.

Nelly’s Cove – another new site. Used by Henry De La Beche to illustrate the
concept of ‘head’ overlying raised beaches in the south-west and importantly
also to draw attention to the old cliff landform buried by the ‘head’.

Each was surveyed and assessed using standard criteria. 10 of these sites were then selected and taken to the RIGS Committee where they were examined and discussed and finally designated. The sites were then notified to the Local Authorites and documented on the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS) Geographical Information System (GIS) and databases.

Halzephron Cliffs –one of the 10 new County Geology Sites
designated in 2005 – showing natural erosion of fault-bounded strata in the coastal slope

The 10 new County Geology Sites are:

• Halzephron Cliffs – coastal landslips
• Valency Valley – active fluvial processes in a coastal valley
• Goongillings Iron Lode – abandoned iron mine
• Kennack Sands – exposures of Holocene clay and its relation to other deposits
• Nelly’s Cove – historic site used to illustrate the concept of ‘head’ overlying raised beaches
• The Gugh – a ‘tombolino’ – an island joined to another by a sand spit covered at high tide - the first County Geology Site on the Isles of Scilly
• Golitha Falls – active erosion of a valley with waterfalls and rapids
• Rocky Valley – fluvial processes
• Pendeen Cliff to Kenidjack – coastal geomorphology showing narrow, steep-sided inlets called zawns
• Durgan – boxwork salt weathering on coastal buildings

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